RacingPost reports 'Dini done after BC...

[Sightseek]

Boooooooo!

[The Bid]

I guess that officially squashes any talk of this horse being potentially great.

[King Glorious]

No wonder Discreet Cat is not going in the Classic. I used to think that the sheikhs were these really sporting people but stuff like this makes me change my mind. If this is true, it really sucks. I guess it doesn't surprise me though. I honestly never expected him to continue on. He's not the first high profile 3yo that they would not have run at four. If they retired the great Lammatarra, who was better than Bernardini, they would retire this one too.

[Cajungator26]

I'm not surprised in the slightest bit...

I hope for their sake that he wins the BCC. I won't be holding my breath on that one, though...

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

I'm not surprised in the slightest bit...

I hope for their sake that he wins the BCC. I won't be holding my breath on that one, though...

I hope he loses, just as I'd hope any 3-yr-old who is scheduled to be retired loses. I don't share blacktw's reaction though. If they ran Bernardini at 4, it would be the exception in this day and age. The sheik's don't have a monopoly on rushing the stars to the breeding shed.

The only way to reverse this would be to impose a strict you-can't-breed-'em-until-they're-five rule. No exceptions. Yeah, I know it isn't going to happen, but if enough people keep bringing it up, and if attendance, betting, and TV-interest keep dwindling, who knows.

--Dunbar

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I hope he loses, just as I'd hope any 3-yr-old who is scheduled to be retired loses. I don't share blacktw's reaction though. If they ran Bernardini at 4, it would be the exception in this day and age. The sheik's don't have a monopoly on rushing the stars to the breeding shed.

The only way to reverse this would be to impose a strict you-can't-breed-'em-until-they're-five rule. No exceptions. Yeah, I know it isn't going to happen, but if enough people keep bringing it up, and if attendance, betting, and TV-interest keep dwindling, who knows.

--Dunbar

I only hope he wins because that's the only way I'm going to think highly of the colt. LOL I've been the minority in that I'm just not overly impressed with him... seeing him challenged in the BCC for the win would make me more inclined to believe all of the praise about him.

[Gander]

He probably would have only run 4 times anyways, big deal. I'm with Oracle, this race is 4 weeks away and theres plenty of action on tap today.
4th is off the turf as is all turf races at Belmont.

[SniperSB23]

It sure wouldn't be very sporting if they deprived us of Bernardini vs Discreet Cat in the BC and weren't even planning on having that matchup at the Dubai World Cup.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I hope he loses, just as I'd hope any 3-yr-old who is scheduled to be retired loses. I don't share blacktw's reaction though. If they ran Bernardini at 4, it would be the exception in this day and age. The sheik's don't have a monopoly on rushing the stars to the breeding shed.



--Dunbar

IMO there is a big difference between the Sheik and most owners. There is absolutely no financial factor in his decisions. If there was he wouldn't have spent $56 Million in a few days last month. I can understand why most people economically take the money and run, so to speak, but for the Sheik the dollars are absolutely meaningless. He is perhaps the only person in the game who can unquestionably afford to be sporting and he is absolutely not.

The real question is where he derives pleasure in this game if as soon as he gets a good horse he rushes it the the breeding shed. If you ask me he is the ultimate coward. If he really believed Bernardini could handle all comers he would be eager to race him next year.

Originally Posted by Dunbar

The sheik's don't have a monopoly on rushing the stars to the breeding shed.

Taking the money and running ... is perfectly underestandable when the horse is owned by an Average Joe who wants to ensure his family's future financial needs.

I didn't mind "Chappy" retiring Smarty Jones ... I just resented his lying to us about it with that phony "what's best for the horse" PR spin.

The Maktoums aren't your Average Mohammeds ... they've got billions and billions of stolen dollars ... and the syndication of Bernardini won't even amount to a decimal point on their balance sheets.

This just shows a complete lack of class ... and total contempt for the racing public.

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

Taking the money and running ... is perfectly underestandable when the horse is owned by an Average Joe who wants to ensure his family's future financial needs.

I didn't mind "Chappy" retiring Smarty Jones ... I just resented his lying to us about it with that phony "what's best for the horse" PR spin.

The Maktoums aren't your Average Mohammeds ... they've got billions and billions of stolen dollars ... and the syndication of Bernardini won't even amount to a decimal point on their balance sheets.

This just shows a complete lack of class ... and total contempt for the racing public.

I do agree that it's hard to justify taking this horse away for breeding purposes. These guys make more money before lunch everyday than a standing Bernardini for a year would produce. It's impossible to justify it by saying he will produce other Bernardini's because it's such an unknown once you transfer them to the shed. Besides, look at Saint Liam and others who met their demise off the track.
While the retirement of Smarty, A. Alex, and others was disappointing, I can't say I wouldn't act the same way if the financial opportunity presented itself.

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

Taking the money and running ... is perfectly underestandable when the horse is owned by an Average Joe who wants to ensure his family's future financial needs.

I didn't mind "Chappy" retiring Smarty Jones ... I just resented his lying to us about it with that phony "what's best for the horse" PR spin.

The Maktoums aren't your Average Mohammeds ... they've got billions and billions of stolen dollars ... and the syndication of Bernardini won't even amount to a decimal point on their balance sheets.

This just shows a complete lack of class ... and total contempt for the racing public.

BB you are being too hard on the Chapmans. He definitely had major issues after the Belmont. Definitely.
Chapman turned down a blank check for him before the Derby, and when agents called on the horse after his debut, at least one agent anyway, they were told nicely by his trainer that he wasn't for sale, and never would be at any price.
Noone was lying, he had issues that made it impossible for him to race again at that level.

[blackthroatedwind]

They are the enemies of racing.

This is just further confirmation. Only the breeders can defend them because they have made them staggeringly wealthy.

Pretty lame....makes me root against this horse and every horse they have.

[Thunder Gulch]

If true, this is terribly disappointing. Forget all of the talk about how great he may be, without racing again, Bernie comes up short of any all - time lists.

[King Glorious]

While it would be disappointing, I don't think it has any effect on how good or great Bernardini is as a horse. If u think he's great now, why would he need another 15-20 races to prove it? Sometimes, careers are cut short but the brilliance is still evident. In racing, think Landaluce or Ruffian. In basketball, there was Len Bias. Football had Gayle Sayers. When greatness is there, it's there whether u get to see it for five races or 50. I'm not saying whether u have to believe that Bernardini is an all-time great but what I am saying is that if he did what he's been doing for another 20 races and u would proclaim him great at that point, then the talent is there now for u to call him great because if it wasn't already there now, he wouldn't be able to do it in the future. It's my feeling that more races would only confirm further to the non-believers what the believers already know.

YAWN. So who do you like in the Belmont 4th race if it comes off the turf?

[philcski]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

While it would be disappointing, I don't think it has any effect on how good or great Bernardini is as a horse. If u think he's great now, why would he need another 15-20 races to prove it? Sometimes, careers are cut short but the brilliance is still evident. In racing, think Landaluce or Ruffian. In basketball, there was Len Bias. Football had Gayle Sayers. When greatness is there, it's there whether u get to see it for five races or 50. I'm not saying whether u have to believe that Bernardini is an all-time great but what I am saying is that if he did what he's been doing for another 20 races and u would proclaim him great at that point, then the talent is there now for u to call him great because if it wasn't already there now, he wouldn't be able to do it in the future. It's my feeling that more races would only confirm further to the non-believers what the believers already know.

KG these examples you give were all injury (or in Bias' case, drug) related. Bernardini will be retired sound as a bell after EIGHT career starts. At what point do careers get so short that there's no emotional attachments?

I don't doubt his greatness. I've seen it live in person 4 times now. But barring injury, i want to see at least an ATTEMPT at a 4yo career.

Originally Posted by King Glorious

While it would be disappointing, I don't think it has any effect on how good or great Bernardini is as a horse. If u think he's great now, why would he need another 15-20 races to prove it? Sometimes, careers are cut short but the brilliance is still evident. In racing, think Landaluce or Ruffian. In basketball, there was Len Bias. Football had Gayle Sayers. When greatness is there, it's there whether u get to see it for five races or 50. I'm not saying whether u have to believe that Bernardini is an all-time great but what I am saying is that if he did what he's been doing for another 20 races and u would proclaim him great at that point, then the talent is there now for u to call him great because if it wasn't already there now, he wouldn't be able to do it in the future. It's my feeling that more races would only confirm further to the non-believers what the believers already know.

Your concept of "greatness" is a bit more ethereal than mine.

I believe greatness is a function of proven performance ... not of speculation on what might have been. Coulda/shoulda/woulda doesn't count.

As I said in my previous post ... all we can say about Bernardini ... and Lammtarra ... is that they had great 3YO campaigns.

They only faced the best horses available in one random year. The really, really great ones did a lot more ... they beat the best ones around in multiple years ... a much more difficult achievement.

[JJP]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

While it would be disappointing, I don't think it has any effect on how good or great Bernardini is as a horse. If u think he's great now, why would he need another 15-20 races to prove it? Sometimes, careers are cut short but the brilliance is still evident. In racing, think Landaluce or Ruffian. In basketball, there was Len Bias. Football had Gayle Sayers. When greatness is there, it's there whether u get to see it for five races or 50. I'm not saying whether u have to believe that Bernardini is an all-time great but what I am saying is that if he did what he's been doing for another 20 races and u would proclaim him great at that point, then the talent is there now for u to call him great because if it wasn't already there now, he wouldn't be able to do it in the future. It's my feeling that more races would only confirm further to the non-believers what the believers already know.

I don't think we can attach the word "brilliance" or "greatness" to Len Bias or any other top of the line college player who never plays a game in the pros. There's been too many so-called "great" college players who were anything but when they tried the next level. We'll never know if Bias would've been great, or a bust.

[TitanSooner]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

They are the enemies of racing.

This is just further confirmation. Only the breeders can defend them because they have made them staggeringly wealthy.

Pretty lame....makes me root against this horse and every horse they have.

Amen.......